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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. SMITH AND ROBERT M. MURDOOK, OF WATEBTOWN, MASS.

SIGNAL-LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,883, dated March 23, 1880.

Application filed August 4, 1879.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. SMITH and ROBERT M. MURDOCK, of Watertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Lanterns; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a side view of our improved lantern, half in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a bottom .view of the lantern with the lamp removed. Fig. 3 is a bottom View of the cap, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the base.

This invention has relation to improvements in lamps for railroad and steamboat purposes.

The object of the invention is to devise a lamp which may be used for ordinary illuminating purposes, or converted at pleasure into a danger-signal lamp or side-light for steamboats or vessels.

The nature of the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as hereinafter shown, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates an ordinary hand-lamp, consisting, primarily, of a base, A, a grating or guard, B, erected thereon and secured thereto, a cap, 0, hinged to said grating and secured thereto by a spring-catch, a, a lamp, D, passed from below into the base A, and secured thereto by a bayonetcatch, spring-clamp, or other equivalent device, and a clear uncolored globe, E, included within the inclosure of the base, the

cap and guard, with its bulge, resting upon the base and its upper end extending up into the lower end of the cap. These features are comoblique slots, 8, on opposite sides, through which extend pinsb, with a cylindrical ring, 0, fitting snugly but loosely within the base aforesaid, which pins are secured to an exterior ring, 01, having projecting handles d attached thereto. By turning the outside ring that embraces the base the interior ring is caused to rise, and carries with it a removable and adjustable colored chimney, c, which is thus projected above the flame of the lamp, causing it to transmit a light of the color of the same. By turning ring d in the opposite direction the colored chimney or globe is retracted and is received between the lamp and base, as shown in Fig. 1, the former being of such diameter as to leave a space for this purpose.

When in position the base-ring of the col ored chimney c rests against a stop-rin g, i, on the inside of the ring 0, and is confined in place by a spring-latch, l, hinged at one side to the said ring, and engaging with its ends bayonetcatches on the other side thereof. We may, however, use some other description of latch, the essential point being to secure said globe removably to the ring.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the inner ring, 0, having stop-ring z rigidly secured around the inside thereof, the hinged spring-latch Z, located at the base of said ring 0, by means of which, in connection with the stop-ring i, the removable and adjustable colored chimney, which is inserted through the bottom of the lantern, is held in place, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

GEO. E. SMITH. ROBERT M. MUBDOGK.

Witnesses:

GEo. R. KIDDER, FREEMAN H. EDGCOMB, THOMAS M. OBRIEN, W. S. SITTINGTON. 

